Pins and Needles

It had already been an week since my mother had stopped into the shop and thankfully everything seemed to be getting back to normal. Tommy and Billy were in the middle of an epic prank war, which would only come to a truce in a day or too so they could enjoy the weekend, but once Monday rolled around, they would be right back at it. Tonya was back to talking me into getting a new piercing as she had been for the previous month or two, while insisting she redo my nails daily for her blog. It was something I didn't quite understand, and didn't think I wanted to. After kicking my mother out, Ami had been making a point to watch my work carefully. He claimed it was because he loved my work, but I knew it was because he was afraid I would let my emotions get the better of me and I was going to start messing up.

And in the tattoo world, one fucked up tattoo can end your entire career.

“Ami, the work is done, I'm going to start my kike back up to the Village.” tossing my messenger bag over my shoulder, I waved to everyone before heading out.

Or at least I thought I was leaving. “AC!” Tonya's voice bellowed out after me. “I forgot you got this letter today in the mail for the shop!” Was probably junkmail about new tables or something. “WAIT!”

Turning to face her, I saw a frantic face rushing me. “Thanks Tonya.” Without looking at it, I stuffed the envelope into my bag. “I'll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah … I guess.” her dark eyes gave me a quick confused stare. “Let me know what they say.” pointing at my bag, Tonya headed back into the shop only to glance over her shoulder and roll her eyes a few times.

A gust of wind caught me quickly freezing me in my movements. It was defiantly a taxi kinda day. Damn February!

Paying for the fare, I soon climbed back out of the taxi in front of the stonewalled building my mine and my boyfriend's apartment. Nate worked at a gallery assisting an artist and he loved his work as much as I loved my tattooing. Being both artists, yet in different ways helped our relationship grow as fast and solid as it did.

Unlocking the door to our apartment on the third floor, I slipped inside the pure darkness and flipped on a light. Everything was neatly cleaned up just as I had left it that morning. The only sign I had that Nate was even home was a soft snore from our bedroom. After fetching a glass of pom juice, I grabbed one of my many sketch pads and a pencil. I had no idea what I was going to draw since for the first time I was actually caught up on all my designs for work.

Running the pencil over the paper for a while, I got the urge to draw something I had seen in my dreams since as early as I could remember. More and more strokes make it look more and more as I had always seen it. It was a hanging antique lamp made out of a black material six long panels of canvas. Each sheet of canvas had the same pattern made out of metal that looked almost like a stockade or something. A long black chain anchored it to the ceiling.

So into my drawing, and deciding what to draw around the lamp, I didn't hear the loud creaks of the apartment's wooden floor. “What are you drawing babe?” The pencil skipped across the paper causing it to rip. “I'm so sorry, I thought you heard me come out Alley.”

“It's fine, how was work today?” Asking as sweetly as I could manage, I hoped he hadn't picked up on how angered I was. Seeing me angry was one thing I was proud Nate had never seen.

He continued about how work was slow in the studio, but went on to say things were going to be picking up very soon. Nodding every so often, I hoped it seemed as though I were really focused on his words instead of figuring out how to save the drawing. “So I will be given a small space in the gallery to hang my finished work.”

“That's great, Nate!” receiving a quick kiss and a plead to come to bed, I placed the drawing on our coffee table and went to place my pencils back in my bag. “I'll be right in babe.”

The envelope Tonya gave me sat right inside the bag, looking as though it wanted to be opened. Without really reading the return address, I tore it open and felt my jaw drop. I had been applying to the Philly Tattoo Convention for years and finally received an invitation to one. I almost tripped over everything in an attempt to get to my laptop and reserve a hotel room.